A Fine Pair
by HPfanonezillion
Summary: Katniss is a star figure skater in need of a partner. Peeta is a former hockey player in need of a new start.


_Author's note: I wrote this as part of Movies in the Month of May on EverlarkianArchives on Tumblr. There are a ton of other good stuff there and on the AO3 Movie Everlark Collection. I chose The Cutting Edge because I really like the movie and Evrelark fit in it really well. Let me know what you think._

 _Happy reading!_

A Fine Pair  
By HPfanonezillion

Katniss skated around the rink with skill. Peeta was impressed by the way her body moved and the footwork she was using. And he knew there was no way he would be able to match her. But Haymitch thought differently.

Katniss came to a stop in front of them. She looked Peeta over and then asked her coach, "Who is this?"

Peeta held out his hand. "Peeta Mellark."

She looked at his offered hand in disdain and then shook it with a weak grip. She made a face. "I thought we were done with auditioning partners."

"You've rejected every other partner that came in here." Haymitch said. "If we're done, that means no Olympics. You are a pairs skater. You couldn't do a singles routine. So take him out there and see what he's got."

She sighed. "Fine." She skated out to the middle of the rink and waited.

Peeta put his bag down, removed his coat, and put on the figure skates. It was the first time he'd worn them. "What do these spikes at the end do?"

"It's a toe pick." Katniss said matter-of-factly.

"Well, what's it for?"

She smiled. "You'll find out eventually."

Haymitch called from the outside of the rink, "Time to get started and stop the yammering."

Katniss held out her hands and looked over her shoulder. "Sometime today?"

"Oh, right." He'd been examining the curve of her back and the shape of her bottom. He needed to figure out the whole distraction thing. He grabbed her hands and followed as she took off. She got faster and faster and he lost his balance, falling flat on his face.

Katniss turned on her skates elegantly and smiled. "Toe pick." She took off around the rink once more.

Haymitch called, "Again."

Peeta pushed himself up and skated to Katniss. He took her hands once more and followed along. He stumbled again, but somehow managed to stay upright.

She still smiled and said, "Toe pick."

"I'll get it." He assured her.

"You better." Haymitch warned. "Again."

They skated the same routine for the rest of the day. Peeta's balance improved over the course of the day. When he finally called for them to call it a day, Haymitch held up a thumb. "Way to go. Tomorrow we start the hard stuff." He walked away and left the pair standing in the middle of the ice.

Katniss moved toward the edge first and Peeta followed a moment later. He watched her remove her skates.

"So what do you do around here when you aren't skating?" He asked.

She kept her eyes on her task. "I keep busy."

"I like baking myself." He said idly

She looked up sharply.

He grinned. "I'm more than just some dumb jock. My family has a bakery. I helped there every morning before school and after. And then I'd practice hockey drills for hours every night and go to the practices with the team. I didn't sleep much. Still don't."

"That seems like a personal problem." She stood and wandered off.

Peeta quickly took off his skates and grabbed his coat and followed. She was fast, but he was able to find her pretty easily. She hadn't gone too far. In another room on the massive compound that she called home, there was a shooting range.

Targets were set up at the far end, one had two arrows sticking in the center and Katniss stood at the end closest to him with a bow and arrow in her hand. She let another fly into the center with the others.

"Wow. So this is how you blow off steam." He said.

She looked over her shoulder and glared as she let another arrow fly.

Peeta swallowed. "I have so many things I could say right now, but I'm holding back because I don't want to get shot."

Katniss sighed and let the bow fall to her side. "Look, this is my solo time. I need to be alone to decompress. So you can get yourself out of here or I will let one of these arrows loose in your foot."

"I don't think Haymitch would like that much seeing as we're supposed to be skating partners." He backed up. "I go running at five in the morning, if you want to join me."

"I'll think about it." She turned and went back to her archery.

* * *

Peeta was sure Katniss would sleep in. She seemed like the type to him. He stood out on the front lawn and stretched as he prepared for the run. That's when he spotted Katniss passing by. He took off after her.

"Didn't think you'd be out here this early."

"I start my run at four-thirty every morning." She said breathlessly.

He panted. "That so? Every morning?"

"Seven days a week."

"Good to know."

She looked over at him a moment and then sped up. He watched her run ahead a few feet and then surpassed her. She grumbled and moved past him. They switched places several times over the course of their run. Finally, Peeta grabbed Katniss's hat and sped off quickly in the other direction.

She stopped and leaned over, resting her hands on her knees. "Not fair."

He turned and smiled, jogging backward as he waved her hat in the air. "May look better on me anyway." He put it on and ran into the house.

She groaned and followed, but he was nowhere to be seen. She found him in his room. After knocking for ten minutes and threatening, he finally opened the door.

He opened the door with a towel around his waist. He held out her hat on his finger. "Looking for this?"

She looked over his bare torso for a moment before she found her voice. "That is mine." She reached out for it, but he pulled it back. "Give it to me."

He chuckled. "You really want that?" He held out the hat again and pulled it out of her reach. Then he wrapped his other arm around her waist.

"Let me go and give me my hat. We have to be down to the rink in an hour and I still need a shower and some breakfast."

He watched her a moment and then covered her mouth with his for a brief kiss. She hesitated a moment and then leaned into him as she deepened the kiss.

Then she stepped back suddenly and slapped him. "Touch me like that again and you're dead." She snatched her hat from him and walked away.


End file.
